Marty

The PD and WEWS are news organizations. They are the investigators and fact-finding journalists who fight to keep government and courtroom (public trials, like this one...) transparent for the rest of us who can't get to the courtroom everyday. As for your "finest Judge" comment, what exactly is the criteria? Banning the public from a public hearing?

Judge Marty hereby bans YOU from all public places! Does that feel fair?

If it is justice that you want for Sowell, you should thank the PD and WEWS for arguing against Ambrose's ignorant motion. There is a better chance of a mistrial if no one argued against this. He should have given reasons to why he was banning the media BEFORE he banned the media.

No. No, they are not wrong. They are legally obligated to report to the rest of the public who (without name or address) is on the jury. It is ILLEGAL to pick a jury in private. How are we suppose to know if they haven't filled the jury with 50+ yr old african american veteran rapists? A stretch, yes - but impossible ....probably. But still illegal.

Not letting the public into a public proceeding - is not following "the absolute letter of the law." You are wrong. It is illegal and will serve more then enough reason for Sowell's defense team to declare a mistrial. Identifying juror's occupation doesn't tell us what their name is. Quoting a juror's thoughts on law enforcement or the death penalty is not telling us where that juror lives. The PD or WEWS is not going to show these people on camera or give out there names and addresses without the juror's consent. Which by the way - they are perfectly allowed to do under the US Constitution. What is wrong here is that Judge Ambrose made a mistake by banning the media (read: the public) without any reason given (read: ILLEGAL). Please, Cleveland, the media is not going to put these jurors in danger of being identified. I want to see the person who can find Juror #8 based on his/her occupation and vote for/against the death penalty. The only way to identify these people is TO ACTUALLY GO DOWN TO THE PUBLIC TRIAL AND LOOK AT THE JURY. Then, of course, you would have to convince a sheriff's deputy to allow you to follow them - which should land you in jail.

And by the way....Who is going to want to go after a jury that is most likely going to send this guy to prison, with or without the death penalty? Seriously, who could be on this guy's side and want to threaten jury members?

The PD wouldn't publish names or addresses, but they would publish occupations and responses to general questions. How is the public able to identify "Juror 8: Dentist, Had misdemeanor in college, 48, Male, Thinks rape is wrong, Has two dogs"? That's like everyone I run into on the street..

I understand he doesn't want this case to get out of control - or that he won't be able to control it, but he is creating more problems for himself. And from the live tweets coming FROM THE COURTROOM it looks like they're meeting now to discuss this restraint of the First Amendment.

Duck, just relax and proceed. No one complained during the Essa trial when they chose the jury and we learned that one was a teacher, one was an entertainer, one was a chemist...etc.

How is this a circus? Just because you hear about this case everyday, doesn't mean it is a circus. The media (part of the public) is just doing they're job. They go down to the court to hear and see what is happening, and then they report it to the REST of us - the Public. There is a difference with a media circus, and reporting the daily news - no matter how small and mundane the details may be.
And the judge is wrong. Unless he has factual details as to why the jurors' occupations, thoughts on general questions and experiences with law enforcement will be detrimental to the case - uh, which it won't be, he is breaking the law. And none of that information will put the jurors in danger of being identified. It is as simple as that. It will be interesting to hear what his reasons are for restricting the public from this public event. Technically, anyone one of you with a blog could go down to the justice center right now, go into the courtroom, listen and take notes and then leave to report to anyone and everyone you wanted to - exactly what you heard, saw and witnessed. The media, is a part of the public. And in this day-in-age, the public is definitely a part of the media.
The only part of this story that is a circus, are the comments.

nice, because that's the most important and disturbing part of this article, and case in general - the timing in which news agencies post stories online. Good job sec516, on such a worthwhile and progressive comment. Get a life.

This is an irresponsible comment Boney. The reporter is just writing what she saw, and there doesn't seem to be any indication of guilt at all, just providing narrative to what she saw - and oh, gosh - that's her job. This article does not come off as judgmental at all. But you do, let's work on that. Keep reading.

And for the record everybody - he won't fry. Even is he were eligible for the death penalty (which he is NOT...) it's lethal injection here in the 21st century. It is easy to say kill kill kill when you are not deciding his fate. Try being on a jury for one of these, a different tune - i'm sure.

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